health


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be in the best of health

To be very healthy. Oh, Joanie's doing very well—she's really been in the best of health since her surgery. My dad's not in the best of health, so the doctors want to run a bunch of tests to find out what's going on.
See also: health, of

be in the pink of health

To be very healthy; to be in excellent condition. It's going to be tough work, so we want everyone in the crew to be in the pink of health before we start. The senator's doctor confirmed that he was in the pink of health again following his sudden hospital visit last week.
See also: health, of, pink

be the picture of (something)

The ideal example of something (which is listed after "of"). Yes, Jill was in the hospital a few months ago, but she's the picture of health now. We went running together just the other day.
See also: of, picture

bill of health

1. An official report that a ship's crew is in good health. If the ship received a bill of health before departing, why are so many people onboard suddenly sick?
2. A statement affirming the condition of something. Thank goodness my car got a clean bill of health at its inspection—I can't afford any big expenses right now.
See also: bill, health, of

clean bill of health

1. A doctor's report that a patient is in good physical health. Josie was relieved when she received a clean bill of health from her physician.
2. An assurance that an organization or process is operating properly according to specific standards. Despite accusations that the company was responsible for polluting the lake, it received a clean bill of health from the environmental agency after a thorough investigation.
See also: bill, clean, health, of

drink (someone's or something's) health

To drink in honor of someone or something; to toast someone or something. Let's drink our health!
See also: drink, health

drink to (someone's or something's) health

To drink in honor of someone or something; to toast someone or something. Let's drink to our health!
See also: drink, health

get (oneself) into the best of health

To become very healthy. It's hard to get yourself into the best of health when you have persistent stomach issues, like Claire does.
See also: get, health, of

get into the pink of health

To become healthy or in excellent condition. It took a few weeks of bed rest to get into the pink of health again. I resolved to get into the pink of health this year, so I've started exercising every day.
See also: get, health, of, pink

ill health

A state of sickness. It's always sad to lose a loved one, but my grandmother was in ill health for a long time, so at least her suffering is over now.
See also: health, ill

image of health

One who is or looks especially healthy, robust, of full of vitality. My grandmother is nearly 70 and smokes two packs of cigarettes a day, but somehow she's still the image of health. It's amazing how having a bit of a tan can make someone an image of health.
See also: health, image, of

in the best of health

Very healthy. Oh, Joanie's doing very well—she's really been in the best of health since her surgery. My dad's not in the best of health, so the doctors want to run a bunch of tests to find out what's going on.
See also: health, of

in the pink of health

Very healthy; in excellent condition. It took a few weeks of bed rest, but I'm in the pink of health now. Good to see you in the pink of health again, John. You looked like death last time I saw you!
See also: health, of, pink

nurse (someone or something) back to health

To give close medical care and attention to someone or an animal in an attempt to return them or it to full health. The government nursed the foreign spy back to health so that he would be able to survive their torture techniques to extract information from him. The poor stray was nearly starved to death when we found her in the gutter, so we took her in and nursed her back to health until she was back to a healthy weight.
See also: back, health, nurse

picture of health

One who is or looks especially healthy, robust, of full of vitality. My grandmother is nearly 70 and smokes two packs of cigarettes a day, but somehow she's still the picture of health. It's amazing how having a bit of a tan can make someone a picture of health.
See also: health, of, picture

*in the best of health

very healthy. (*Typically: be ~; get oneself ~.) Bill is in the best of health. He eats well and exercises. I haven't been in the best of health. I think I have the flu.
See also: health, of

nurse someone back to health

to care for a sick person until good health returns. Sally was glad to help nurse her mother back to health. She nursed her children back to health when they all had the flu.
See also: back, health, nurse

picture of (good) health

in a very healthy condition. The doctor says I am the picture of good health. Each of the children is the picture of health.
See also: health, of, picture

clean bill of health

A report confirming the absence of fault or guilt in a person or thing, as in Jeff checked every component and gave the computer a clean bill of health, or He had a foolproof alibi so the police had to give him a clean bill of health. This term comes from a 17th-century practice of requiring ships to produce a medical document ( bill) attesting to the absence of infectious disease on board before landing.
See also: bill, clean, health, of

a clean bill of health

COMMON
1. If someone is given or gets a clean bill of health, they are told that they are completely fit and healthy. He had a full medical late last year and was given a clean bill of health. Great Britain coach Mal Reilly, delighted to receive a clean bill of health for his 19-man squad, names his side today.
2. If something is given or gets a clean bill of health, it is examined and then judged to be in a satisfactory condition. Fourteen seaside resorts failed to meet the environmental and safety standards, while 43 were given a clean bill of health. At the end of that intensive study, the chemical industry got an environmental clean bill of health. Note: A bill of health was a certificate which was given to a ship's master to present at the next port the ship arrived at. It stated whether or not there was an infectious disease aboard the ship or in the port it was departing from.
See also: bill, clean, health, of

the picture of health

or

a picture of health

If someone is the picture of health or a picture of health, they look very healthy. He lay propped on pillows, looking the picture of health, his skin tanned, his jaw firm. Today, Ryan Carroll is a picture of health. Note: Other words can be used instead of health to emphasize how someone looks. He was hardly a picture of elegance. Day after day she came and sat with us and looked a picture of misery.
See also: health, of, picture

a clean bill of health

a declaration or confirmation that someone is healthy or something is in good condition.
In the mid 18th century, a bill of health was an official certificate given to the master of a ship on leaving port; if clean , it certified that there was no infection either in the port or on board the vessel.
See also: bill, clean, health, of

a clean bill of ˈhealth

a statement that somebody is well or something is in a satisfactory condition: The doctor’s given her a clean bill of health.A bill of health was an official document given to the captain of a ship when leaving a particular port that said that nobody on the ship carried any disease or infection.
See also: bill, clean, health, of

drink somebody’s ˈhealth

wish somebody good health as you lift your glass, and then drink from it
See also: drink, health

be the ˌpicture of ˈhealth, ˈhappiness, etc.

be completely or extremely healthy, etc: She’s the picture of happiness in this photo. ♢ He’s the picture of misery, isn’t he? Look at him standing there in the rain.
See also: of, picture

clean bill of health, to have a/be given a

To have passed a rigorous inspection. The term comes from the nineteenth-century practice of issuing an actual bill of health, a document signed by the authorities and given to the ship’s master, stating that no infectious diseases existed in the port of embarkation. If there was some kind of epidemic, the ship received a foul bill of health. Before long the term was transferred to the assurance that an individual or group or organization was found, after investigation, to be morally sound.
See also: bill, clean, given, have, of

picture of health, the

A model of well-being. This complimentary description has been around since the late eighteenth century. Jane Austen used it in Emma (1815): “One hears sometimes of a child being ‘the picture of health.’”
See also: of, picture
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